


Eskel's rise to power

by JuZu



Series: We call it smart family business [2]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Backstory, Friendship, Gun Violence, Kind of heartwarming in the end, Mafia AU, Murder, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:14:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26283241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuZu/pseuds/JuZu
Summary: How Eskel went from broke security guard to rich caporegime
Series: We call it smart family business [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1874068
Comments: 4
Kudos: 76





	Eskel's rise to power

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sunflower_Fairy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunflower_Fairy/gifts).



> The user Qlawik left this comment under the last chapter: Also I'm really curious how Eskel got into this crime world, cuz he hates it so much, yet here he is
> 
> And since this will never come up in the story, I thought it was a fun idea to write out. This is just a short summary of Eskel’s life in the mafia, nothing too fancy. Enjoy!
> 
> Beta'd by [Lady Ahiru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAhiru/)

Eskel worked as a guard at a small security company. With little pay and long hours, it was a sucky job, but the only one he could get with the scars on his face. For one assignment, he was hired to stand around and look scary as a business deal was made. He wasn’t stupid and knew it was some kind of criminal deal and he was put there as a scapegoat if anything went wrong. He was easy to identify, easy to catch, easy to replace. Eskel hated his boss for this, but he needed the paycheck.

The deal went south and guns went off. Eskel did his job and protected the man that hired him with his life and got him out alive. The man, named Varin a caporegime of Geralt, was so grateful that he offered Eskel a permanent job on the spot. He would be his private guard and be paid five times as much as he was now. Eskel had been torn for a moment, he didn’t want to get involved in the criminal world. But then again, with the job he already had he was in a way and that boss would throw him under the bus if he could. So Eskel agreed, they shook on it and a few days later he signed a contract. 

He worked for Varin for a few years, it started with simple guarding jobs but that slowly evolved to money laundering, collecting protection money, and even robbery. It wasn’t until he had threatened a store owner for money that Eskel realized he was in deep and that he couldn’t go back even if he wanted to. This bothered him, but there was nothing he could do about it now. It was hard to disappear from the radar of the Rivia family.

He quickly made friends with Axel, a soldier of Varin that mainly did research and planning before they took any action. It turned out they had the same crazy ex and they bonded over that. She gave Eskel his scars in a fight, Axel lost everything as she burned down his house.

* * *

Eskel had never been to the Rivia mansion, he didn’t even know where it was until he was called over by Varin. There was a job no one else wanted to do and he was begging Eskel to take it. So Eskel agreed to take a look and went to the mansion with Cahir, who was still a soldier at this point. Eskel only saw the mansion from the outside, as he was led to a separate building. Varin met them inside, it stank like all hell in there, and Varin looked very uncomfortable. He explained briefly that Geralt had murdered someone but didn’t actually tell anyone that the body was still there. It had to be cleaned up, but the usual people refused to do it. So Varin begged Eskel and Cahir to at least give it a look over. He opened the door and Cahir threw up on sight. The body, if you could call it that, was mangled, limbs were spread out all over the floor, the tiles were coated with old sticky blood and all the flesh had started to rot. Eskel just sighed, put on some gloves, and got to work without complaint. As long as he didn’t think about the fact that this used to be a living human being, he should be fine. He started by spraying away most blood, picked up the loose limbs and other pieces, and put them in a bag. It was gross and terrible, but he managed to get it done without vomiting. Cahir had to dispose of the body parts while Eskel stayed behind to scrub away all the bloodstains. 

Varin was impressed and offered Eskel this as his new job. The pay was even better than his current job and Eskel, who knew he had to as no one else wanted to job, reluctantly agreed. And so Eskel was directed all over the town to clean up any murders, bodies or other traces people left behind. It wasn’t the worst job in the world, but it wasn’t a fun one. The saving graces were Cedric and Raven, two other men in the cleanup crew. They taught Eskel all they knew and were two of the best men Eskel had ever met.

In between cleanups, he was still guarding Varin if he needed it and one time even Don Geralt himself. That’s how he met Lambert, the snarky right-hand man of the Don with the mouth of a sailor. They fell into easy conversation and mutual snarking at each other and the rest of the crew. Eskel was a little sad to say goodbye, but he knew that the right-hand man of the Don wouldn’t hang around a low soldier like him. He figured he’d never see Lambert again and he was fine with that.

But then Geralt needed him again and again. It came to a point he was more on Geralt’s team than the cleanup crew. One night Eskel had to drag a drunk Geralt back to the mansion with Lambert’s help. Geralt ordered Eskel to stay and said he could use Lambert’s room. Lambert tried to protest, but Geralt shouted that he was the Don and he could do what he wanted. So Eskel ended up sharing a room with Lambert, and instead of an awkward night, it was nice. Pleasant even. From that point on he used Lambert’s room whenever he was at the mansion, he got a key and everything. Lambert protested a few times but never made any attempt to throw Eskel out for real. 

After weeks of this, Geralt called him into his office. Eskel was terrified, he had heard one story too many about people that didn’t leave the office alive. But he was proven wrong, as Geralt only had a promotion for him. Geralt liked Eskel, he was strong, smart, loyal, hardworking and friendly, and Geralt wanted him on his team. He would still do cleanups whenever needed, but he would spend most of his time at the mansion, looking after it and Geralt with the aid of Lambert. Eskel was stunned, he couldn’t believe he was given this opportunity. Geralt corrected him in that, as he worked his ass off and deserved it. Eskel agreed and celebrated that night with his friends, now as close as brothers, Axel, Cedric and Raven. 

* * *

Fast forward to the present and Eskel is now a caporegime himself and in charge of erasing evidence. From bodies to paper trails, he and his men do it all with precision. Axel moved teams to work under Eskel, and Cedric and Raven are happy to have Eskel as their boss. He knows what he is doing because they taught him everything. Eskel’s men are efficient and fast, Geralt has nothing but praises for them.

It isn’t that Eskel likes his job, the lying and the death still aren’t what he wants from life, but the people around him make it more than worth it. Lambert, Axel, Cedric, Raven, Geralt, Ciri and many more. The love, security and warmth are what make his life great and his job bearable. He wouldn’t change that for the world. 

**Author's Note:**

> Some characters may make no appearence in the main story, as I don't do planning but maybe one day they might show up.
> 
> Come say hi on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/MagikaMiss)


End file.
